2019 Tribeca Film Festival Coverage: La Noria Review: Special

The animated story of a little guy who likes to craft wonder wheels, La Noria, will sneak up to the deepest corners of your heart and your mind. A boy is locked up in the dark house surrounded by unreal and scary creatures. The movie creates tension and makes you worried. It is perfect for the fans of emotionally pressing films.

La Noria is an animated short film directed by filmmaker/animator Carlos Baena and produced as an online collaboration with artists from around the world. Baena is known as an animator for favorite movies such as The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3.

The animation in the movie is breathtaking. It’s so good that it takes a few minutes to understand that you are watching a cartoon. That being said, La Noria is not the usual animated film with lots of colors. It is a dark-toned, yet beautiful piece of art combined with classical music.

The beauty of the film’s aesthetic transfers to the literal tone as well. No words are spoken throughout the movie; only the eyes of the child talk to you. No wonder people say eyes are the window to the soul. But even without any lines, the main character shows his vast personality and unfortunate struggle; it is hard to call him a child. He dares to face whatever it is in the dark. Sometimes we do not have such power.

Ultimately, the viewer feels connected to the story because one knows how it feels being locked up in the dark room of your mind surrounded by your demons. The hardest part is to follow the path of light that always shines even in the dark. What this film allows you to do is see the light, even in the gloomiest of situations.